Rolling mill construction



' 1957 B. 1. THOREN 2,81

ROLLING MILL CONSTRUCTION Filed March 51, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ,Beryz Ivar T/zoren K BY ATTORN 5 Dec. 17, 1957 B. l. THOREN ROLLING MILL CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 31, 1953 INVENTOR Z IvarT/zoren ATTO EYS ,B ly

W LLLJ Dec. 17, 1957 B. l. THOREN ROLLING MILL CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 31, 1953 n 5 Rw NH om 1 wk J M lm A United States PatentO ROLLING lVIILL CONSTRUCTION Bengt Ivar Thoren, Sandviken, Sweden, assignor to Sandvikens Jernverks Aktiebolag, Sandviken, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Application March 31, 1953, Serial No. 345,804

Claims priority, application Sweden April 2, 1952 9 Claims. (Cl. 80-51) This invention relates to rolling mills, and more in particular to guiding metal strips through the rolls where there is intermittent or continuous operation. In rolling mills for hot rolling of metal strips, guides may be provided for insuring that the strips are centered as they pass through the rolls. Such guides may be in the form of brackets at the edges of the strip positioned adjacent the rolls at the in side. Similarly, guides are provided at the out side, which direct the strip along the desired path toward the next rolling or other step. Such guides must be securely held, and must be readily adjustable so as to accommodate the rolls to different widths of the strip. If the guides are adjusted to a width slightly less than the width of the strip passing through, the strip may ride up at the edges and damage will result to the strip and even to the machinery. If the guides are set too far apart for the particular strip passing through, there is also apt to be improper operation because of the improper centering of the strip and a weaving of the strip.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rolling mill wherein strips are guided with complete ascuracy and with assurance that no damage will be done to the strip or to the machinery. It is a further object to provide strip guides in combination with rolls which are thoroughly practical in every respect, and which avoid the ClllTlCLlltlCS such as have been encountered in the past, and some of which have been referred to above. further object to provide a guide-clamping mechanism which will secure the guides in place, and yet which is quickly and easily released andthen re-engaged. It is a further object to provide in arrangements, such as those discussed above, a thoroughly practical guide mounting and adjusting mechanism. It is a further object to provide improved elements and an improved combination of elements to carry out the above objects. These and other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out below:

In the drawings: 1

Figure 1 is a vertical section on line 11 of Figure 2 of a unit of a rolling mill constituting one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is an upwardly directed horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and,

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Figure 2, with certain parts shown in elevation.

Referring particularly to Figure l of the drawings, a pair of rolls 13 are mounted in a known manner not here shown to perform a rolling operation upon a steel strip 14. At the left of the rolls, there is a horizontal frame member 12 (see Figure 3), which, together with the side frame members 30 and 31, constitute a portion of the frame or base for the mill. Member 12 is rigidly supported at its ends by members 30 and 31, and it provides support for the strip 14 moving (Figure 1) to the right into the rolls 13. Mounted at the sides of strip 14 upon member 12 are two guides which present vertical strip guiding surfaces 32, and have overhanging flanges 33. Flanges 33 present under-surfaces 34 which overlie the Itisa' ice edges of the strip 14 and (Figure 1) slant downwardly toward the bite of the rolls. As shown best in Figure 2, the ends of surfaces 32 curve outwardly away from the strip so as to facilitate entry of the leading end of the strip between the guides.

Guides 10 rest upon the top of member 12. Member 12 has a central channel with upstanding sides at its edges so as to provide the cross-sectional configuration shown in Figure 1. There is a narrow horizontal surface 35 at the right, a slanting surface 36 adjacent thereto, a horizontal bottom surface 37, a slanting surface 38 at the left, and a horizontal surface 39 adjacent thereto. Each of the guides 10 has a mating guide portion 40, which projects between surfaces 36 and 38, and which has surfaces which mate with surfaces 35, 36 and 38, by which support is provided from member 12. However, as will be explained more fully below, the guides may be slid to and from each other along member 12, so as to adjust them for strips 14 of different widths.

The adjustment of the guides 10 is effected by a double rack and pinion mechanism now to be described. Referring now to Figure 3, the left-hand guide is mechanically connected with a rack block 17 by means of an upwardly projected boss or pin 41 which is snugly received in a recess in the bottom of the guide. Rack block 17 has an integral rack 18 (see Figures 1 and 2) which projects longitudinally beyond the center of member 12 and has rack teeth engaging the teeth of a rotatable pinion 19. Pinion 19 (Figure l) is mounted on member 12 by means of a bolt and bearing assembly so that it is free to rotate. Pinion 19 is also engaged by a rack 20 which extends (Figure 3) to the right to an integral rack block 21, which is identical in construction with rack block 17, and is similarly connected to its guide 10. As shown best in Figure 1, racks 18 and 20 are held in engagement with pinion 19 by longitudinal portions of member 12 and they are supported below by a pair of overlying plates 42, which in turn are held to member 12 by screws not shown.

Referring again to Figure 3, rack block 17 is connected to an operating rod 16 by means of the threaded end of the rod being screwed into a threaded recess in the block. Operating rod 16 extends to the left through the frame member 30 and has an extended threaded portion at its lefthand end. A hand wheel 15 is turned on to this threaded portion and is rotatably mounted in a bracket 43 upon the side of the frame member 30. The turning of hand wheel 15 moves rod 16 longitudinally, i. e., to the right or left in Figure 3. Such movement is transmitted directly to rack block 17 and the rack block slides its guide 10. The rack block also slides its rack which (see Figure 2) turns pinion 19, and the turning of the pinion moves rack 20 in the opposite direction. This movement of rack 20 is transmitted through rack block 21 (Figure 3) to its guide 10. Thus, the turning of hand wheel 15 moves the two guides simultaneously to and from each other.

During the rolling operations, the guides 10 are securely clamped by a clamping bar 11, which rests upon the tops of the guides. A secure resting position is insured by the provision of cross channels in the guides which snugly receive (see also Figure 1) the bottom edge of the clamping bar. The clamping bar is held in the clamping position by a pair of identical piston and cylinder assemblies, the details of which are shown at the left in Figure 3. Each of these assemblies comprises a double cylinder block having a downwardly disposed cylinder 22, and an upwardly disposed cylinder 26. Cylinder 22 has a piston 25 which is secured by means of a screw connection at its lower end to the adjacent end of the clamping bar 11. Fluid under pressure, such as oil, is supplied to the two cylinders 22 through the respective ports 24, so that the pistons .are pressed downwardly upon-the endsofthe clamping bar 11. This action clamps theguides to member 12 and (see Figure 1) each of the guides is positioned tightly against the surfaces 35, 36 and 38. The portion 40 ofeachguide is thus positionedbetweentherdown- Wardly converging surfaces 36 and 38 and-the guide may accommodate itself to a position wheresit is clamped securely. This is facilitated by the fact that surfaces;37 and 39 are not contacted by the guides.

When it is desirable to release theguides foradjustment or replacement, the oil pressure in cylinder 22 is released. The clamping bar 11 may then be lifted by supplying fluids, such as oil under pressure, to cylinders 26 through ports 23 (Figure 3). Each f these cylinders isconneCted to the clamping bar by a link 29,, Whichis supported at,its upper end by a stud shaft =44, carried by its piston 45, and which is bifurcated at its bottom end and is connectedto the pressure bar by a bolta46. Referring now to Figure 1, when the pressure bar hasbeen elevated slightly, it may be swung to the broken line position so that the guides maybe raised and removed. The removal of the guides is facilitated by the loose connection with the respective cam blocks, and yet the positions of the guides is very accurately controlled by turning the hand Wheel 15. As shown in Figure 1, fluid is supplied to each of the lower cylinders directly through tube 23, and each of the upper cylinders through a tube 27. A control arrangement (not shown) is provided, which automatically releases the pressure from thelower cylinders and supplies fluid to the upper cylinders when it is desirable to adjust or remove the guides.

The guides are in a sense individually pivoted or engaged each by its single pin 41. When the guides are released, they may be readily adjusted but, when clamped, the frictional forces hold them in place through long periods of use without readjustment. Illustratively, the cylinders 22 are the length of 125 mm. and a diameter of ,65 mm, and compressing forces are exerted of the order of 10.6x kp. It has been indicated that the fluid to cylinders 22 is oil, and that compressed air is supplied to cylinders 26. Other fluidsmay be used and other modifications may be made in the construction and operation within the terms of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a rolling mill having a pair of rolls, a pair of guides positioned respectively upon the opposite sides of the path for a strip of metal passing through the rolls and presenting guiding surfaces which are engaged by the edges of the strip, frame means supporting said guides,

adjusting means to adjust simultaneously the positions K of said guides transversely of said path, said adjusting means including a pair of transversely movable elements and releasable pin and hole interconnections respectively connecting said movable elements to said guides and means to move said elements simultaneously whereby said guides are adjustable but may be removed by separating said pin and hole interconnection, and clamping means to clamp said guides in their respective adjusted positions comprising a clamping bar which is movable to and from a position wherein it engages and presses said guides against said movable elements and means to operate and hold such clamping bar.

2. 1m a rolling mill, a strip guiding mechanism comprising, a frame construction including a transverse member extending beneath the path of a strip to be rolled and having a channel with upwardly diverging side walls, a pair of guides slideably supported on said transverse member, and having downwardly converging-edges which mate with and rest upon said upwardly converging surfaces thereby to provide sliding support for said guides, said guides presenting strip guiding surfaces and being adapted to be moved along said transverse vmember to accommodate them for guiding strips of varying widths, guide adjusting means to transmit movement to said guides each .of said guides and a portion of said adjust- 4 ing means including "apin and mating recess extending transversely of the general plane of the strip and providing the mechanical interconnection with the guide, and clamping means to clamp said guides in adjusted positions comprising a transverse bar and means to clamp the bar in fixed position against said guides.

3. Apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein said clamping .means comprises a clamping bar which is adapted to move to and from a position wherein it engages said guides, a pair of piston and cylinder mechanisms positionedrespectively at the ends of said clamping bar, and a second pair of piston and cylinder mechanismsjconnected tosaid bar to exert lifting forces thereon.

4. Apparatusas described in claim 2 wherein .said adjusting means includes a pair "of racks mechanically connected to saidguides, pinion ,means engaging said racks, and adjusting means to move one of said racks.

5. In a rolling mill, a strip guiding mechanism comprising, :aiframe constructionincluding transverse means extending beneaththe: path of a strip to be rolled and having upwardly exposedslide surfaces, a pair of guide assemblies slidably supported on said side surfaces and havingsurfaces which mate with the surfaces of said transverse member thereby to provide slide support for said guide assemblies, said guide assemblies presenting strip guiding surfaces-extended parallel to the edges of the strip to be rolled and being adapted to be moved along saidtransversemernber to accommodate them for guiding strips of varying widths, guide adjusting means totransmitmovement to each of said guide assemblies, means to move said guide assemblies simultaneously to and from each other, a clamping bar extending transversely ofsaid path and resting against guide assemblies, and a pair of expansible assemblies which are operable to exert force against said clamping bar to hold said bar in fixed position against said guide assemblies.

6. Apparatus as described in claim 5 wherein each of said expansible assemblies is a cylinder and piston assembly to which fluid is supplied, and a pair of arms providing a swinging support for said transverse bar.

7. Apparatus as described in claim 6 wherein each of said guide assemblies includes two elements, one having protrusions therefrom and the other having recesses which mate with and receive said protrusions whereby the elements maybe moved from each other but moved transversely together when said protrusions are mated.

8. Apparatus as described in claim 5 wherein said supporting surfaces on said transverse means are formed by upwardly diverging side walls and wherein said guide assemblies are provided with downwardly converging mating surfaces.

9. In a rollingmill, a strip guiding mechanism comprising, a:frame construction including transverse means extending beneath the path of a strip to be rolled and having upwardly exposed slide surfaces, a pair of guide assemblies slidably supported on said side surfaces and having surfaces which mate with the surfaces of said transverse member thereby to provide slide support for said guide assemblies, said guide assemblies presenting strip guiding surfaces extended parallel to the edges of the strip to be rolled and being adapted to be moved along said transverse member to accommodate them for guiding strips of varying widths, guide adjusting means to transmit movement to each of said guide assemblies, means to move said guide assemblies simultaneously to and from each other, a clamping bar extending transversely of said path and resting against guide assemblies, and clamping means to clamp said guide assemblies in adjusted positions comprising means to clamp said clamping bar in fixed position against said guide assemblies.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Edwards Aug. 11, 1908 Sheperdson Sept. 15, 1914 5 Foster Jan. 2, 1923 Loewy June 4, 1929 6 Loyd Feb. 11, 1930 Smith Aug. 20, 1935 Kearns Apr. 28, 1936 Glenn Dec. 19, 1939 Anater Mar. 24, 1942 Breguet Apr. 25, 1950 

